- Date
- May 29, 2023, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Teresa, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1126DCessna 140A
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230529014219A
- Case key
- 192279
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of control after encountering a dust devil during landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported winds at the airport were 6 gusting to 13 knots, 30 degrees from runway heading during the approach to landing. Upon touchdown, the airplane began to bounce, and she felt a strong crosswind pushing her to the right. She elected to initiate a go-around, however, the right wing lifted, and the left wing impacted the ground. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane ground looped. The left wing and aileron sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated the airport experiences dust devils frequently and often they are not visible. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28) and the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual found no detailed information listed about dust devils or the potential hazards of flying through dust devils.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1126D
- Reported as
- Cessna 140A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15675
- Built
- 1951
- Airframe hours
- 4,125
- Engine
- Cont Motor C90-14F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 8, 2022
- Departed
- ELP · El Paso, TX
- Destination
- DNA · Santa Teresa, NM
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DNA · Dona Ana County International Jetport Airport, runway 28, 9,550 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,291 total · 175 in this make and model · 2,543 as pilot in command · 106 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KDNA
- METAR
- KDNA 291815Z AUTO VRB05G13KT 10SM CLR 31/M08 A3004 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 15, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.